This invention relates to a socket used for measuring or mounting an electric part such as an IC, and more particularly to a construction of a partition wall disposed between adjacent contacts formed on the socket.
A socket of the type described above has a plurality of contacts arranged at micro pitches so as to correspond to terminals of an IC. Therefore, the adjacent contacts must be isolated by a partition wall in order to prevent a short circuit. In a conventional socket of this type, as shown in FIG. 16, the partition walls 2 are integrally formed on a socket board 1, and each of the contacts 3 is mounted between adjacent partition walls 2.
Each of the partition walls is disposed in a very limited space between the adjacent IC terminals, and between the adjacent contacts, both being arranged at micro pitches. Since each of the partition walls requires, at each side thereof, a narrow space just sufficient to avoid frictional engagement with the adjacent contacts, it is necessary to give the partition walls on extremely small wall thickness.
In recent years, there is a tendency that the IC terminals are arranged at smaller pitches, and therefore, each of the partition walls is required to be made still thinner. However, since there is a limit as to how thin the partition walls can be made, it becomes extremely difficult by the current molding technique to integrally form strong partition walls thin enough to meet the aforementioned requirement.
As one solution for the above problem, it can be considered forming each of the insulating partition walls as a separate part from the socket board, and each partition wall is mounted on the socket board after the contacts are mounted in the socket board. However, because each of the partition walls is a separate part, it becomes a problem whether a means for mounting the partition walls on the socket board can be provided or not. For example, one idea, in which a plurality of holes for implanting the partition walls is formed in the socket board at micro pitches beforehand, is likewise hardly employable because it will have the same difficulties as the arrangement in which the very thin partition walls are arranged on the socket board at micro pitches.